Confronted
by TxGinny
Summary: Percabeth one-shot taking place after Percy shows up on the beach during BotL when everyone thought he was dead. Features Percy running after Annabeth into the forest after she storms off following their argument to confront her about their kiss.


**Hello! This is my first fanfic, thanks for reading! This scene takes place in BotL after Percy returns from Calypso's island and he, Chiron, and Annabeth all talk at the Big House. Just my idea of what could have happened if Percy and Annabeth confronted each other after the kiss.**

" **You are the single most annoying person I have ever met!" And she stormed out of the room.**

Not waiting for Chiron's reply, Percy leapt up from his chair and ran after her.

"Annabeth! Annabeth wait!"

Percy chased after the blonde haired girl who was currently running at top speed past the cabins and amphitheater to the forest. Ignoring the questioning looks from fellow campers, Percy focused on digging his shoes a little harder into the dirt as he tried to catch up. He did not know why he was chasing after her, as he knew that eventually she would calm down and come back like she always did when they fought, but something about this time felt different. _They_ felt different. It was as if since their moment in Hephaestus' forge with the telekhines and him almost dying, Percy was able to focus on what mattered more so than before. And right now what mattered was her. Just seeing her broken over his burial shroud when he appeared on the beach was enough to push any regrets of not staying on Ogygia with Calypso out of his brain.

Turning his attention back to the present, Percy saw Annabeth reach the tree line that separated the forest from the rest of the camp and disappear into the woods. Undeterred Percy huffed in frustration and plunged into the forest as well, letting the branches and bushes scrape at is skin as he raced after her, desperately keeping sight of her orange shirt as he bobbed around brown tree trunks.

"Ahh!" He cried out as something prevented him from running. He looked around wildly and finally down, pausing to pull his orange tshirt off the briar bush it was snagged on and huffing that it made him lose sight of Annabeth.

"Annabeth where are you? Please I just want to talk! Annabeth!" Percy called out irritated and growing more so by the second. "Almost died for her in that freaking mountain and this is what I get? Not even a chance to explain?" He muttered to himself.

Percy began moving again, slower this time, taking the time to push away the leaves in his face when he finally he spotted her a few yards away, sitting with her back to him on a boulder and with renewed determination he began jogging over to her.

He carefully walked around the grey stone to stand directly in front of her as she continued to stare straight ahead. Percy stared at her expectantly.

"What do you want Percy?" She let out in a defeated, even tone refusing to look at him. Her fingers were gripping the rock and her knuckles were prominent as she pushed the fingers down into the boulder.

"I came to talk. We are best friends and I- look, I just-can you at least look at me?" Percy replied getting frustrated with her lack of interest in the fact that he had chased her down. That surely indicated that he had some semblance of an intention to talk to her, right? Annabeth angrily fixed her stormy grey eyes on him and Percy involuntarily sucked in a breath as he recognized the hurt in her eyes and the tears that swam up unbidden in them. Momentarily deflated, he felt guilt creep in. What right did he have to be angry with her when she had been through hell the last two weeks?

Quietly he began, "Look I know you're mad ok? I would be too if you were gone for two weeks and I thought you were dead and then you weren't. Well that's a lie, I would be more than mad, I would be heartbroken."

Annabeth looked at him for real now and he saw a quick flicker of something he couldn't place in her eyes.

"And I get all that" he continued, trying not to get lost in the child of Athena's inscrutable expression, "I just thought that we were in a different place after what happened...in the- in the mountain. And I know you probably know where I've been for the last two weeks and you hate my plan for saving your quest and I screwed up in staying away so long and I'm rambling but I guess I just kind of thought..."

Percy stopped now and nervously ran a hand through his mop of black hair as he looked away and stared off into the trees surrounding them, suddenly self-conscious.  
Releasing her death grip on the rock, Annabeth crossed her arms and cautiously prompted "You thought what?"

Percy exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and fixed his gaze on her once again. "I guess I thought that we had made progress, like you realized how I felt about you and maybe you felt the same or something and that's why you kissed me."

A red flush creeped its way up her neck forcing her to look down, "I did think that, but it doesn't change the fact that you did something heroic and brave and then were gone for two weeks and didn't send a message which kind of negates the heroic-"

She was cut off by Percy grabbing her hand.

Surprised, Annabeth faltered and Percy used the opening. "I know and I'm sorry and I get if you aren't sure where we stand but just know that what happened in the forge, it- it meant something to me."

Attempting to maintain indifferent, she looked down at her lap, and still holding his hand her lips slowly curved into the barest hint of a smile. After several moments she looked up again with more vulnerability than she had ever shared with anyone and met Percy's green eyes.

"Yeah, me too." was all she offered. And it was more than enough. Percy slowly grinned, his eyes reflecting his relief. Squeezing her hand gently he replied with a casual "Ok." He helped her off the boulder, daring to be so bold as to put his arm around her shoulder, and together they turned and headed back into the trees toward camp.


End file.
